Label finishing machine



May 21, 1968 I. M. BELL LABEL FINISHING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 19, 1965 NW NE INVENTOR. IRVING M. B

ATTORNEY.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2,

Filed Feb. 19, 1965 INVENTOR.

IR NG M. BELL ATTORA/EY.

y 1968 l. M. BELL 3,384,365

LABEL FIN ISHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1965 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN=V-EN TOR. IRVING M. BELL W ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,384,365 LABEL FINISHING MACHINE Irving M. Bell, 56 Robinson Gardens, Lewiston, Maine 04240 Filed Feb. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 434,021 2 Claims. (Cl. 270-61) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A label finishing machine is described wherein a strip of woven labels is fed by a pointed push rod to a pivotable cutter which is flexibly connected to its driving arm. The individual cut label is picked up by a pair of blocks which carry the label through folding and pressing and then rise up and return to capturing another label.

This invention relates to a machine which provides individual, folded woven labels from a strip containing a plurality of woven labels. In particular, it relates to a machine which automatically performs the consecutive operations of cutting an individual label, folding its side edges inward and then pressing the edges to provide the finished label.

Woven labels, such as those customarily used in clothing, are usually made from yarn fed to a loom where repetitions of the label design are formed on a continuous strip which is later wound on a reel. The strip is then unwound and cut transversely into individual labels. When this is done, however there are ragged edges along the cutting lines. It is therefore necessary that the sides be folded in to give a sturdy edge and finished appearance. Folding can be done either on a bias or straight. After folding, it is usually necessary to press the folds for permanence and then feed the labels into a compact package ready for shipment and use by the clothing manufacturer.

Although there are machines described in the prior art for preparing finished labels from a strip of woven labels, such machines are extremely complex and usually require an excessive amount of maintenance to keep in proper operating condition. Further, the speed with which such prior art machines accomplish their intended functions is typically much slower than other comparable automatic machine operations.

One object of this invention is to provide a novel machine for producing finished woven labels from a strip of woven labels.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel means for feeding and cutting individual portions of a strip of flexible material.

Yet, another object of this invention is to provide means for feeding and inwardly folding the side-edges of individual strips of flexible material.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel means for stacking finished woven labels in a compact manner.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the machine.

FIG. 2 is an elevation of the right side of the machine with partial breakaway of the wheel box to show various portions of the mechanisms.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the mechanism which causes longitudinal motion of the block which feeds the label to the folding elements.

FIG. 4 is a right side view of a portion of the machine showing two vertical positions of the blocks which feed the label to the folders.

FIG. 5 is a right elevation of a portion of the machine showing the heated pressing blocks in elevated position.

FIG. 6 is a view of the knife mechanism showing the knife in elevated position.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing the knife in down or cutting position.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the strip engaging mechanism which unwinds the strip from the reel and feeds it to a desired location.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a portion of the machine showing actual folding, pressing and ejection of finished labels.

FIG. 10 is an oblique angle view of a label passing through rectangular side folders and entering below the pressing blocks.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the folding element of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a rectangular folded label.

FIG. 13 is an oblique view as in FIG. 10 utilizing different folding elements to make bias or mitre folds.

FIG. 14 is a side view along line 1414 illustrating the bias folding element.

FIG. 15 is a plan view of a bias folded woven label.

The machine generally comprises a strip of woven labels wound on a reel and fed by a push member to a cutting area. After cutting, a pair of feed members having undercuts pull the individual label transversely up and over a pair of side folding members to a position underneath heated pressing means. The forward ends of these recessed feed members eject the prior pressed label from the press area before bringing in the new label. The sequence of motion of the strip feed member, knife, transverse feed blocks, and press blocks can be powered and regulated by mechanical, electrical or a mixture of electrical and mechanical means. In the preferred embodiment described in the drawings, a mechanical system of motion and cont ol is illustrated which has been found to be rapid, compact and reliable, namely a single drive shaft having cams, cranks and gears.

Referring now to the machine 11 illustrated in the drawings, numeral 13 illustrates generally the portion of the machine devoted to feeding and providing the cut labels from the strip wound on the reel. The strip of labels 50 mounted on reel 50a is unwound on flatbed 184 between a pair of guide rails 186 and 190. A transverse strap and a pair of tension leaf springs 187 and 191 serve to maintain the tape in proper flat condition in its track. The feeding and unwinding from the reel is accomplished by the motion of a push rod 34 spaced above the tape in its track and having a pointed end engageable with the top surface of the strip in the track.

The push rod 34 is supported adjustably by a holding block 33 having a top adjustment screw 33a and a side adjustment screw 33b for mounting on a rotatable transverse support rod 35. Support rod 35 extends through a block 31 which slides on rods 32 between pillars 32a. At the end of the support rod 35 is a roller 29 which is movable in a slot 28a of a connecting arm 28. Connecting member 28 has a median slot 28b in which a rod 28d pivotally connected to an arm 27 is slideable. The further end of arm member 28 is pivotally mounted on'a fixed rod 30 supported by a frame member 252. The other end of arm 27 is pivotally connected by crank pin 26a to crank 26 which is mounted on a shaft 25 supported by pillow blocks 25a. Shaft 25 terminates in a gear 24 which meshes with gear 23 mounted on drive shaft 22.

Thus, the rotation of the cam shaft 22 through the gears 23 and 24 causes the crank 26 to turn the arm 27 by means of the crank pin 26a. As crank 26 rotates, it imparts a reciprocal motion to arm 27. As arm 27 moves in a feeding direction, it causes arm 28 to pivot. Rod 35, which holds push rod 34, extends through block 31 and terminates in a roller 29 in slot 28 of arm 28. As arm 28 moves, it causes block 31 to move and rod 35 to rotate.

Thus, on the feed stroke of arm 27 block 31 slides forward and rod is rotated so that push member 34 is pushed down. On the reverse stroke of arm 27, arm 28 pivots in the opposite direction, thus pulling block 31 back and at the same time reserving the rotation on roller 29, thus causing the push member 34 to rise. Thus, the point of push rod is down on the forward stroke but raised on the rearward stroke.

The drive-shaft 22, which is supported in pillow blocks 22a, is driven by pulley 21 whose belt 20 engages the shaft 18 of pulley 17 whose belt 16 in turn connects with the main motor 15. The proper cutting action of knife assembly 176 on the feed tape is also controlled, as explained below, by the drive-shaft 22 in the mechanical control portion 12.

The knife blade 179 is supported by a block 177 which pivots on pin 178 by virtue of a flexible connecting piece 175 going to roller arm 172. There is a Spring 180 between the knife block 177 and the arm 172. Arm 172 pivots on a pin 173 supported by a post 174 and has at its other end a roller 171 which is engageable with a cam 170 mounted on shaft 22.

As the strip is moved forward on bed 184, its end is fed to adjacent fiat bed 103 so as to be positioned underneath a pair of transverse feed blocks 69 and 72 having undercuts 69a and 72a. Cutting by the knife blade assembly takes place at this time. Subsequent to the cutting, the machine is arranged so that the feed blocks 69 and 72 will now capture the individual label and pull it to the folding and pressing mechanism.

The feed block members 69 and 72 have both longitudinal and vertical motion. The blocks 69 and 72 have support brackets 67 and 70 connected to the blocks by connecting pieces 68 and 71. The brackets 67 and 70 are mounted on a pivot shaft 63 whose end is engageable in a slot 62a of an arm 62. Arm 62 is pivotally attached to the frame by a pivot pin 62b at its lower end and has a pin 61b engageable in a slot 61c of an arm 61 rotatable on pin a of a crank 60 mounted on the shaft 22. There is a spring 61a between the pin 61]; and a fixed portion of the arm 61. Block 64 is slidably mounted on guide rods 65 attached to a frame 65a. Thus, rotation of the shaft 22 causes reciprocal longitudinal motion of the feed blocks 69 and 72.

Also attached to the block 64 on the pivot rod 63 is an extension of the bracket terminating in a roller 66 engageable with a vertical rod which imparts vertical motion to the brackets and hence the feed blocks 69 and 72. When the rod 80 is lowered, the rollers 66 engage rail 66a being aided by roller spring 6612 extending from the bracket 70 to the sliding block 64.

Vertical lift rod 80 extends through a sleeve 81 on rail 66a to a bracket 83, with a spring 82 wound around the rod 80 between the sleeve 81 and the bracket 83. The bracket 83 terminates in a roller 84 slidable on a rocker arm 85 which is pivotally mounted on the frame by pin 86 and has at its other end a roller 87 engageable with a cam 88 mounted on shaft 22. In FIG. 4, the right hand representation of blocks 64 and 72 shows block member 72 in a raised position Whereas the left hand representation of blocks 64 and 72 shows the blocks as they deliver the label to the pressing area and push out the prior finished label down inclines 210 and 211.

After the blocks 69 and 72 start to retract, they are raised and arrive at the original capturing position in raised condition. When the new label is fed and cut the blocks are now in lowered position and start to move towards the folding area. The folding area generally comprises two side folding elements as will be presently described.

Having reference now to FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, there is illustrated therein a pair of folding members and positioned opposite to one another. Each member is formed with split forwardly directed, vertically curving fingers, an outside rising finger 125a and inside descending finger, 12517. The label edge rides over the outside finger 125a and under the inside finger but is then bent over where the fingers join and kept folded by being held in the slot that is formed having an exterior opening. Similarly, the opposite folding member 120 has an outside rising finger 120a and an inside descending finger 12%. The finished tape 123 thus has its raw edges 123a and 1231) folded inward.

Where instead of a rectangular fold it is desired that there be an angular or bias fold, the folding pieces are of slightly different construction. Thus, having reference to FIGS. 13, 14 and 15, the folding members 126 and 127 shown therein have on the outside a rising finger which widens all the way into the interior line (126a and 127a). The interior finger is now a straight rising end which is very thin 126b and 127b). The label thus is raised first by the interior thin fingers 12611 and 127b and the end is then flipped over so that it passes through the underneath channel to form the bias folded label illustrated as 128 having bias folds 128a and 128b.

When the feed blocks 69 and 72 move past the folding elements, the folded label 123 is deposited in the pressing area where holding blocks 1500 and 1550 with spring 15% hold the label in position for the vertical pressure of the press blocks 150 and 155, each of which contain heating units 150a and 155a.

The pressing assembly comprises a top cross bar with lift rods 131 and 141 connected through a stationery 'block 143 to pivot blocks 135 and 145 connected to a roller arm 160 whose end roller 161 is engageable with a cam 162 mounted on shaft 22. Springs 132 and 142 between blocks 133 and 143 and pivot blocks 135 and 145 serve by their compressive action to move the heated pressure blocks and 155.

The mechanism which moves the block 69 and 72 longitudinally also acts via fixed pin 201a on arm 62 to tip the label as it comes down the inclines 210 and 211. A wire connector 201 from the pin 201a leads the label carrying rod 203 having an adjustable end 202 and provided with right and left label carrying rods 204 and 205. The labels are received between side rails 220 and 222 which are connected by rod 221 and are fed into a packing box 224 in supports 225 and 226. Spreader members 227 and 229 having spring loaded blocks 28 are provided. The support 250 holds the bed 51 for the press block frame 130 and the cam shaft pillow blocks 22a. Numeral 225 designates the shelf. A digital counter 209 is shown having a reset Wheel 209a and a forked member 206 between which are springs 207 and 208.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the folded, pressed label 53 is ejected by the forward ends of blocks 69 and 72 so that it falls on to the inclined rods 210 and 211. At this point, the label carrying rods 204 and 205 are beneath the level of incline rods 210 and 211. As the block 64 reaches, the rods 204 and 205 rotate upward so as to lift and then tip the labels 53 so that they are fed edgewise into packing box 224.

While a preferred embodiment of this invention has been described in detail, the invention is not to be limited to the particular construction set forth, since various changes may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or destroying any of the advantages contained in the same.

I claim.

1. In a label-finishing machine, a pair of block members (69), (72) having lower recesses and movable on a substantially flat bed, a folding station, a pressing station, and a receptacle, said block members being arranged to move longitudinally in one direction to carry an individual label through said folding to said pressing station and then to rise vertically and move out of said pressing station in the reverse longitudinal direction and then descend to the initial capturing position, the front end of said block pushing the previously pressed label out 3 of said pressing station into said receptacle as it carries the label into the pressing station.

2. Means for feeding a strip of material to a Work station comprising: a support bed, means for holding said strip substantially flat on said bed, guide means adjacent to said bed, a longitudinally movable sliding block supported by said guide means, a transverse rod extending over said strip and through said block, said rod being rotatable in said block and terminating in a roller means, a longitudinal rod With a hen tip supported by said transverse rod and arranged so that its tip is engageable with said strip, crank means having a slot engageabie with said roller means and adapted to cause said block to slide and said transverse rod to rotate so that the tip of said rod descends into the strip with the forward stroke and rises with the rearward stroke.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,618,138 2/1927 Rosenthal 270-61 1,958,096 5/1934 Piepenbring et al. 27()--61 2,291,551 7/1942 Hochman et al. 270-61 2,680,612 6/1954 Hu-belrneyer 270-6-1 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

P. WILLIAMS, Assistant Examiner. 

